Drought Update: Small Communities Need to Conserve, Too!

The Governor just released emergency regulations for water conservation. Urban water suppliers have to conserve from 8-36% to reach the statewide goal of a 25% water reduction, and small water systems (serving fewer than 3,000 connections) must achieve a 25% reduction in water use or limit outdoor irrigation to two days per week. This is a step in the right direction since everyone in the state should do their part to reduce water use, but we’ll continue to see households and whole communities running out of water during droughts until we get better groundwater management in place. In the short term, the state and local counties need to put more serious groundwater management policies in place and ensure residents in small communities have the tools they need to meet these new regulations. More funding is needed to make sure communities have water meters, leak repairs, and other tools to conserve water. Educational materials must be translated into culturally-appropriate languages, and rebates need to be accessible and tailored so that all Californians can access these tools.